Spring plug for watch band attachments



Dec. 26, 1950 B. MILNER 2536007 SPRING FLUG FOR WATCH BAND ATTACHMENTS Fiied Aug. 12, 1947 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 SPRING FLUG FOR WATCH BAND ATTACHMENTS Bertram Milner, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to 7 Litwin & Sons, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a cor:

poration of Ohio Application August 12, 1947, Serial N0. 768,234

Claims.

This invention relateg to the jewelry art and is partidularly concerned With the attachment of a wrist watch case to a watch end, which is the trade term for decorative elements designed to be p0sitioned. between the watch case and the watch band in a wrist watch assembly.

When positioned an a watch band the conventional wrist watch does not always provide the degree of ornamentation desired. For this reason watch ends are sometimes sold either along With the watch itself or more frequently at a 1ater time when the novelty cf the watch has Worn oft. The addition of watch ends to a wrist watch great1y lengthens the decorative effect of the assembly particularly when the watch ends are jewelled as is usually the case.

The conventional Wrist watch case is provided with means 1'01 attaching I;he watch so the band or 130 the watch end. 'Ihis usually consists of a pair of extended tongue members or lugs, one

on each side of ehe watnh case, in which transverse bores have been formed. The ends of the band are conventionally passed through these bares in the event that a watch end is not included in the combination. Where a watch end is included, it is usua1 to fasten the watch ends directly to I:he lugs on the watch case. Watch ends are formed in many different shapes and configurations but in the usua1 type Iso which I:his invention is directed the watch end includes as an integral part a clevis adapted to fit over the Ing and to be secured thereto in some 1nanner.-

Various difierent methods of securing the watah end to ;the watch case have been proposed. In some instances, the watch ends have been soldered 110 the 1ugs on the watch either directly or by means of a pin nassed through a bore in an intervening 1ink. This soldering constitutes a factory operation and when it is the method cf attachment selected, it is necessary for the retail jeweler I;o send the entire assembly to a manufacturing jeweler. 'Ihis consumes cousiderable time and adds to the expense of the operation.

Briefly stated, the principal purpose of the present invention has been so provide means for attaching the clevis portion of a watch end to the 1ugs or a watch case which means is so simple in construction that it can be utilized in a few seconds by the retail jeweler and yet so streng and sure that jewelled watch ends cannot be separated from the watch and thereby lost.

tages will be appariant from the further and more detailed description cf a preferred embodiment 0: the invention as disclosed in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wrist watch anti wrist watch case of conventional construction associated With but separated from an assembly including a watch end having a clevis portion and a wrist watch strap. The spring pins, which form the engagement between the watch end and the wrist watch case, are shown in side elevation directly beneath the bares in Which they are inserted.

Figure 2 is a side elevation similar 1:0 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view illustrating the assembly of the pin the Ing on I;he watch case and the watch end.

Figure 4 is a sectional view a1ong the 1ine l4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side p1an vievv of the assembly as projected from Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification of the invntion.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating severa1 of the watch ends linked torzether a5 a t1ain provide an elongated ornament.

Referring now to Figure 1 a watch and watch case 0f conventional con=truction has been indicated generally as I This case has a pair of 1ugs designated II protruding outwardly from the ends thereof. Bores I2 have been formed transversely th1ough the lugs. Watvh ends of very simple design have been designated generally as I3. These particular watch ends are shown as formed only from precious meta1 but other materials may be used anal in the majority of instances they will Ioe jewelled. Near the unter extremities of the watch ends I3 are ouowardly extending portions I a in which anpronriate transverse openings I4 are bored receive a watch strap or cord I5. The inner portions of the wacch ends I3 form c1evis portions I 5a which form an integral part of the watch ends. -The c1evis portions I5a include inwardly extending c1evis arms I5b through which pas clevis hores I 5c for connecting the watch ends I3 t0 the watch I0.

Directly be1ow the bores in the clevis arms I5b are shown, in their preferred form, the spring pin assemblies I 6, Which constitute the attaching means of the invention. These pins include pin members I'l, which preferably a1a of dumbbell tral 01 i11dented portions I9 Of thepins ll. The

sleeves I8 afe preferably forme'dfroni a generally rectangular sheet of phosphor bronze or similar ductile metal having spring characteristics. This sheet is slit and configurated to form a plurality of tangs o1 fingers 20 extending for a substantial distance of its length. One r more of these fingers as 2I are preferably bent outwardly while one or more others as 22 remain parallel with the Center line 0f the pin to engage loosely the inriented surface I9 of the pin memher II. The sleeve I8 is longitudinally locked against the indented portion of the pin member Il by means 01 the parallel fingers 22 which prevent the sleeve from slipping ofi the pin.

The details of the construction 013 the Invention are lasst illustratecl in Figures 3 and 4. In these views the pin assembly I6 has been inserted through an opening in the bore Ic in the clevis arm. This bore is preferably made of smaller diameter than the bore I2 on the watch case lug H. This insertion is accomplishecl thr0ugh an end 24 of the bore I5c which opening is of substantially the same diameter as the pin I'l. As the pin assembly I% enters the bore I5c the tanqs 2I are first confined but as the assembly passes through the larger bore I2 on the lug I! they spring outwardly as shown in Figure 3, to engage a shoulder 25 formed between the inner surfaces of the clevis arms I5b and the sides cf the bore I2 on the lug. -This engagement prevents removal of the pin assembly from the bore after it has been once inserted. As previously stated, the tangs 22 are left parallel to the pin and have the function of holding the sleeve I8 in the indented portion I9 cf the pin I! without other m ans of attaehment.

After the nin assembly I6 has been fully inserted. it Will have the apnearance indicated in Figures 3 and 4. The small bore 26 in the wateh end I3 has no real fnnction but is a necessary inciclent to the manufacturing process by which these links conventionally are macle. I-Iowever, the shoulder 28a provided by the difierences in the diameters of the bores 25 and I5b nrovides a ston for the pin. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention the shoulder 26a prrevents displacement of the pin in the one direction and the tangs prevent displacement in the other direction. The pin is therefore locked permanently in platze.

Figure 6 shows a modification of the invention in which a sleeve 21 has tangs designated 28 and structurally similar to the tangs 20 formed at both ends. These tangs are bent outwarclly while the central portion 29 of the sleeve is pressed against the central portion of the indented portions I9 of the pin I'I. In the use of this modification an engagement is obtained at buth ends of the bore I2 instead o1 at a single end only. As shown in Figure 6 where this modification is used the bore 30 in the watch end, here designatecl as 3I, may be of the same diameter at both ends as the passasze of the pin assembly I 6 through the bore is effectively prevented by the double lock which is obtained. This construction is particularly adapted to use with a link in whieh a bore having a diameter continuous as distinguished from a link having a shoulder as shown in Figure 3.

It will be apparent from the preceding description that a very quick anal efiective means has been provided for forming an attachmentbetween a watch e nd and a lug on a watch casa Once the engagement has been formed between der shown in Figure 6, it is almost impossible to remove the pin assembly. At the same time, the attachment is one which can be effected within a few seconds while the customer is still in the retail sture. This is a great commercial advantage because it avoids the necessity of sending the various elements of the assembly to a manufacturing jeweler for soldering. AI: the same time, the attachment is just as secure as could be attained by soldering. While the invention has been described. with particular reference to the attachment 0f a link to a watch case lug it Will be apparent that the utility is not limited to this single purpose and that there are other problems in the jewelry art and in other arts to which the invention has application. The use of a single watch end at either end of a watch has been describecl. However, additional watch ends may be add.ed to form a train if desired. Thus, an additional watch encl can be attached to each 01. the watch ends I3 by means of the openings I I, as shown in Figure 7, and any desired number of ornamental watch ends can be added serially to the watch III.

Having describecl my invention, I claim:

1. Means for attaching the clevis of a watch end ornament and a watch lug having bores formed therein, the bore in the lug having a greater diameter than that in the clevis of the watch encl ornament, saicl means including a pin having a diameter at its ends substantially the same as the diameter of the bore in the clevis an:l a reducecl diameter along its central section, saicl section being substantially as long as the Width 0f the lug, a sleeve adaptecl to fit around said pin along its central seccion and tangs bent outwardly from said sleeve, whereby, as the pin is inserted throughthe ornament bore, and into the lug the tangs Will spring outwardly and engage the shoulder formed betvveen the inner surface of the ornament and the side of the bore in the lug.

2. .Means for securing a clevis to the tonguemember of a watch encl ornament, the clevis having arms with bores therein positioned to be aligned with a bore of large diameter in the tongue member when the tongue is in position betvveen the arms; said means including a pin having a reduced diameter along its central section, said section being substantially as long as the Width of the tongue, a sleeve adapted to encircle the pin in the area of its reduced diameter and at least one spring tang extending outwardly from the sleeve, whereby as the pin is inserted through the c1evis bore and into the tongue bore the end of the tang Will be urged outwardly anti into locking engagement with the inner surface of the clevis arms.

3. Means for attaching a wristwatch case having a tongue member extending therefrom to the clevis of a watch enci ornament, said ton;zue member having a bore therein, whichis adapted to be aligned with a bore of lesser diameter in the arms of the clevis, the bore of one of the arms of the clevis having an abutment therein; said means including apin and sprin tangs extending outwardly from the sides of said pin Where by when the pin has been inserted through one arm of the clevis through the tongue and into the bore in the opposite arm 01: the clevis the saiclpin is restrained from movement in one direction by the engagement of its end With the abutment in the bore of the clevis and in the other direction byv the locking engagement Q1 said t angsw ith the. inner surface of the clevis;

4. In combination with a watch case having a tongue member thereon, said tongue member having a bore therein and a c1evis adapted to be interfitted with said tongue member, said clevis having bores of smaller diameter than the tongue bore, a pin assembly for attaching the watch case 110 the link, said pin assembly comprising a pin member having a reduced diameter along its central section, a slgeve on said pin in the area. of its reduced diameter, said s1eeve having spring tangs struck from the surface thereof and extended outwardly therefrom, the ends of said tangs being adapted to engage in locking relationship with the shoulder pmvided by one of the clevis arms when the pin is in position in the bores of the clevis and tongue.

5. A coupling device for jewelry er the like comprising a c1evis member, a. tongue adapted to interfit with said clevis member, a clevis pin assembl said clevis member and tongue having bores berein, the bore in the tongue being of greater diameter than that of the clevis, said bores being adapted to receive said clevis pin assemb1y 1:0 lock the tongue in assembled relationship with the clevis member, said c1evis pin assembly including a pin having a. reduced diameter along its central section, a sleeve member fitted around said pin in the area of 1ts reduced diameter and a plurality of spring tangs formed in the sleeve member, certain of said tangs being substantially parallel with the axis of the pin and holding the sleeve to the pin and ot;hers of said tangs being bent outwardly to engage the inner surfaces of the C18Vis member when the clevis pin assembly is in position in the bores of the clevis and the tongue.

BERTRAM MILNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Dace 937,402 Wood et a1. Ost. 19, 1909 1483218 Fahnestock Feb. 12, 1924 1,911916 Menamin May 30, 1933 1978029 Parvin Oct. 223, 1934 2185,736 Prestinari Jan. 2 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 164,612 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1933 

